Sa Isla ni Datu Puti.
No matter how weary and tired I am, I must journalize the events of our three-day trip to Iloilo. The good thing about it is paterfamilias is not around, and only my ‘ninang’ was our sole guardian, and of course, spoiled city brats that we are, we got what we want, and did what we desired, sine poena. Quite eventful, I must add. And fun. And fun, should be construed in light of ‘age, sub-culture, and social inklings and idiosyncrasies.’
Me, my bro, my ‘kinakapatids’ (whom we actually treat as cousins since we grew up together… Manila Zoo cubs as we were then, born and raised in the urban jungle – quite literally – ‘till my dad became lord of the animal kingdom) Lovella and Vee, my Ninang/Tita Ming arrived after the utmost delay in the Manila Airport, around past 11am in Iloilo. It is my second time to go to the island of Datu Puti, the first was in the summer of 1999, after my high school graduation, sorta, ‘blowout’ for me. Of course, back then, I wasn’t fully emancipated, so perspective-wise, it was different fun.
From the airport we we’re picked up by Love and Vee’s cousins, and my new friends, Val and Bdict (short for Benedict) and funny as it may sound, My Ninang, a true-blue Ilongga, never stepped foot in the adjacent island of Guimaras. At any rate, the compulsiveness of our youth, infecting her, we decided to have lunch at Guimaras. (Now, that’s what I call jet-setting… err… I mean, boat-setting.) We parked the car at Robinsons Place (guess what, free-parking! No fees whatsoever!) Then took a traysikol to the port, then took a ferry boat (a gargantuan motorized wooden boat ala balangay) for the ten minute trip. Upon arrival at Jordan, Guimaras port, you can see signs all over saying that it is prohibited to bring in mangoes (there I have learned that mangoes is the main economic activity of guimaras) but you can bring out as much as you want. I guess the policy is to protect the industry from alien insect invaders or what not.
From every spot people were gawking at us. As if we we’re foreigners in a foreign land. Well, sorta like that, since we’ve been wearing urbanite clothes and definitely our colors don’t camouflage with the local scenery. You could see the stark difference when it comes to economic progress, between Iloilo and Guimaras, on the other side of the channel, cosmopolitan center of Western Visayas, on the other side, backward, and assumingly a fourth class province. No mall, no major building, no big commercial complex. Nada. And as far as prices are concern (transportation and food) Guimaras commodities are cheaper from that of the other side of the channel. We took the mini-fiera and had a 40 minute, 26 kilometer road trip to Alibugho, or Puerto del Mar, that cove beach that is quite pristine, so that we can take pictures and eat lunch (which is around 2pm already). Before that, we stopped by the Trappist Monastery, where we saw monks during the noon-day prayers… uhm… praying in the chapel. Of course, there, we started the ceremonial picture taking.
After the short road trip to Guimaras (come and think of it, we just went there para lang masabing nakarating kame sa Guimaras) we returned to the City and went malling. Yeah, you get of Metro Manila in order to shop in a Mall. Nah. They just bought the necessities, while me, my bro, Val and Benedict went to a local coffee shop, to have coffee and smoke, while conversing on what particular mall or venue should starbucks be established there. Yes, Houston, there are no Starbucks in Iloilo, or for the rest of Panay even. Since the latter two are manila-urbanized, we stayed there to watch out for nice Ilonggas, and swarms of Koreans who seem to invade the archipelago and probably now the second largest east asian minority in the country after the Chinese, whom of course, are by cultural affinity, considered Filipinos.
We went to San Joaquin, where we stayed at my ninang’s husband’s mother’s house. Everybody was cheerful. Ilonggos are quite a happy people…or maybe just there in the somewhat remote part of the provinces. Urbanites always have the tendency to be snobs and busybodies. Of course, the day ended with the drinking, and for the first time, I drank Pale Pilsen all throughout the night. Around two in the morning, we we’re already a bit drunk, we decided to go to the beach, which is just around the corner, and in every backyard, as a matter of fact. The wind was strong, and the tide was furious. Of course, we didn’t swim in the dead of night, we just strolled and made noise.
The next day, we joined my ninang in their hill top school for their class reunion (which, to her bickering and ranting, wasn’t quite as organized and as orderly as it should be… of course, the Metropolitan bias always ensues.) After the mass, they had this ‘caravan’, which in Manila, we call ‘motorcade’, where we paraded from end to end of the municipality. The weird thing is the people keeps on waving at us, and so, what else could we do, I had to courteously oblige myself to wave back, feeling artista. Hahaha! After such tiring experience and due to lack of sleep, we went back home and left my ninang there to die secondary to boredom. In the afternoon, we went around and snooped at the places. We climbed on the Tower of the San Joaquin Church, well, since the gate to the belfry was closed; we had to satisfy ourselves with standing on the tiny porch at the façade. Whew! It was scary! We then went to this other tower in the Pasungay Stadium, the place where they hold bull-fights during fiestas, and viewed the scenery of the sea, mountains, and the field, where goats apparently play soccer. (Yeah, 12 grazing goats in the soccer field look like a team to me.)
Much later in the afternoon, we decided to take a dip in the sea. (which is Baybay in Kinaray-A) Where over the horizon, I saw a thunderstorm ensuing, after thirty minutes or so, it hit landfall, and it hit hard. We had to return to shore lest we be murdered by lightning or the tempest or be swallowed by the sea. At any rate, it was cool! Since it we were already wet, we decided to shower in the rain. We were just out there along the road, in front of the house, standing, sitting at the porch, while the wind was howling and rain gushing forth, ‘til it died down. This is one thing obviously most of us don’t do in Manila. After the rain stopped, we then had the real shower, dressed up and went to this local search for Little Miss Vag Thols. (Yes, it is a word, although, it sounds like baktol, it is not the same. It is allegedly a local organization or what not.) And all throughout the night, Pinoy Big Brother theme was playing ad nauseam, in between the commentaries and conversations of the people in the dialect which I barely understood.
Here’s the catch, there’s this pretty (think PRETTY as in Angel Locsin pretty) girl that performed an intermission number. She was wearing a red dress and she performed some ballroom moves with an ulikba of a partner. Mala-ebony at ivory kumbaga. Damn! She was graceful, poised, sexy and hot!!!! Then, I learned she was only high school. Hahaha! Tough luck! At least we made I contact. Hehehe. They performed the foxtrot first, then the forbidden dance, el tango, which I have to admit (and I beg the pardon of you my dear readers) that I was quite turned on by her moves. Afterwards, the salsa. (Yeah, dirty dancing the movie).
We went back home to continue the drinking. I retired around 1am ‘coz I’m dead tired and today was quite a long day.
Day Three – we went to the Campo Santo, that old Spanish Cemetery in San Joaquin, where the smell of bat droppings is considered sacred to environmentalists. It was beautiful in an eerie way, not awesome as the churches, but historically and architecturally significant. We also went to the Miag-ao Church, the one on the World Heritage Sites List, and instinctively, went atop the bell tower again in order to be terrorized by the height and the cavernous dungeon-like staircase up the façade and the tower itself. We also went to Ex-congressman Oscar Garin’s house, a friend of my dad’s and my ninang. And I can say only two words: MTV CRIBS.
So much of the good things must end, after touring the other churches and places, like UP VISAYAS, we went to the airport and returned back to Manila, after another delayed flight. Again. And guess what. It was Larai, an acquaintance from AB, who was one of the flight attendants on our Cebu Pacific flight. I had this feeling that I’ll see her (or probably Paolo Castro) in Cebu Pacific. Mall rats as we are, we immediately went to Harrison Plaza where we parted ways for the moment, I went to Rustan’s and got me David Beckham’s INSTINCT, while the others went to SM and everywhere. Now I’m sitting here, tired and blogging all the way. It was a great trip, though so short it may be. Loved it.
And of the things I’ve learned….
Me, my bro, my ‘kinakapatids’ (whom we actually treat as cousins since we grew up together… Manila Zoo cubs as we were then, born and raised in the urban jungle – quite literally – ‘till my dad became lord of the animal kingdom) Lovella and Vee, my Ninang/Tita Ming arrived after the utmost delay in the Manila Airport, around past 11am in Iloilo. It is my second time to go to the island of Datu Puti, the first was in the summer of 1999, after my high school graduation, sorta, ‘blowout’ for me. Of course, back then, I wasn’t fully emancipated, so perspective-wise, it was different fun.
From the airport we we’re picked up by Love and Vee’s cousins, and my new friends, Val and Bdict (short for Benedict) and funny as it may sound, My Ninang, a true-blue Ilongga, never stepped foot in the adjacent island of Guimaras. At any rate, the compulsiveness of our youth, infecting her, we decided to have lunch at Guimaras. (Now, that’s what I call jet-setting… err… I mean, boat-setting.) We parked the car at Robinsons Place (guess what, free-parking! No fees whatsoever!) Then took a traysikol to the port, then took a ferry boat (a gargantuan motorized wooden boat ala balangay) for the ten minute trip. Upon arrival at Jordan, Guimaras port, you can see signs all over saying that it is prohibited to bring in mangoes (there I have learned that mangoes is the main economic activity of guimaras) but you can bring out as much as you want. I guess the policy is to protect the industry from alien insect invaders or what not.
From every spot people were gawking at us. As if we we’re foreigners in a foreign land. Well, sorta like that, since we’ve been wearing urbanite clothes and definitely our colors don’t camouflage with the local scenery. You could see the stark difference when it comes to economic progress, between Iloilo and Guimaras, on the other side of the channel, cosmopolitan center of Western Visayas, on the other side, backward, and assumingly a fourth class province. No mall, no major building, no big commercial complex. Nada. And as far as prices are concern (transportation and food) Guimaras commodities are cheaper from that of the other side of the channel. We took the mini-fiera and had a 40 minute, 26 kilometer road trip to Alibugho, or Puerto del Mar, that cove beach that is quite pristine, so that we can take pictures and eat lunch (which is around 2pm already). Before that, we stopped by the Trappist Monastery, where we saw monks during the noon-day prayers… uhm… praying in the chapel. Of course, there, we started the ceremonial picture taking.
After the short road trip to Guimaras (come and think of it, we just went there para lang masabing nakarating kame sa Guimaras) we returned to the City and went malling. Yeah, you get of Metro Manila in order to shop in a Mall. Nah. They just bought the necessities, while me, my bro, Val and Benedict went to a local coffee shop, to have coffee and smoke, while conversing on what particular mall or venue should starbucks be established there. Yes, Houston, there are no Starbucks in Iloilo, or for the rest of Panay even. Since the latter two are manila-urbanized, we stayed there to watch out for nice Ilonggas, and swarms of Koreans who seem to invade the archipelago and probably now the second largest east asian minority in the country after the Chinese, whom of course, are by cultural affinity, considered Filipinos.
We went to San Joaquin, where we stayed at my ninang’s husband’s mother’s house. Everybody was cheerful. Ilonggos are quite a happy people…or maybe just there in the somewhat remote part of the provinces. Urbanites always have the tendency to be snobs and busybodies. Of course, the day ended with the drinking, and for the first time, I drank Pale Pilsen all throughout the night. Around two in the morning, we we’re already a bit drunk, we decided to go to the beach, which is just around the corner, and in every backyard, as a matter of fact. The wind was strong, and the tide was furious. Of course, we didn’t swim in the dead of night, we just strolled and made noise.
The next day, we joined my ninang in their hill top school for their class reunion (which, to her bickering and ranting, wasn’t quite as organized and as orderly as it should be… of course, the Metropolitan bias always ensues.) After the mass, they had this ‘caravan’, which in Manila, we call ‘motorcade’, where we paraded from end to end of the municipality. The weird thing is the people keeps on waving at us, and so, what else could we do, I had to courteously oblige myself to wave back, feeling artista. Hahaha! After such tiring experience and due to lack of sleep, we went back home and left my ninang there to die secondary to boredom. In the afternoon, we went around and snooped at the places. We climbed on the Tower of the San Joaquin Church, well, since the gate to the belfry was closed; we had to satisfy ourselves with standing on the tiny porch at the façade. Whew! It was scary! We then went to this other tower in the Pasungay Stadium, the place where they hold bull-fights during fiestas, and viewed the scenery of the sea, mountains, and the field, where goats apparently play soccer. (Yeah, 12 grazing goats in the soccer field look like a team to me.)
Much later in the afternoon, we decided to take a dip in the sea. (which is Baybay in Kinaray-A) Where over the horizon, I saw a thunderstorm ensuing, after thirty minutes or so, it hit landfall, and it hit hard. We had to return to shore lest we be murdered by lightning or the tempest or be swallowed by the sea. At any rate, it was cool! Since it we were already wet, we decided to shower in the rain. We were just out there along the road, in front of the house, standing, sitting at the porch, while the wind was howling and rain gushing forth, ‘til it died down. This is one thing obviously most of us don’t do in Manila. After the rain stopped, we then had the real shower, dressed up and went to this local search for Little Miss Vag Thols. (Yes, it is a word, although, it sounds like baktol, it is not the same. It is allegedly a local organization or what not.) And all throughout the night, Pinoy Big Brother theme was playing ad nauseam, in between the commentaries and conversations of the people in the dialect which I barely understood.
Here’s the catch, there’s this pretty (think PRETTY as in Angel Locsin pretty) girl that performed an intermission number. She was wearing a red dress and she performed some ballroom moves with an ulikba of a partner. Mala-ebony at ivory kumbaga. Damn! She was graceful, poised, sexy and hot!!!! Then, I learned she was only high school. Hahaha! Tough luck! At least we made I contact. Hehehe. They performed the foxtrot first, then the forbidden dance, el tango, which I have to admit (and I beg the pardon of you my dear readers) that I was quite turned on by her moves. Afterwards, the salsa. (Yeah, dirty dancing the movie).
We went back home to continue the drinking. I retired around 1am ‘coz I’m dead tired and today was quite a long day.
Day Three – we went to the Campo Santo, that old Spanish Cemetery in San Joaquin, where the smell of bat droppings is considered sacred to environmentalists. It was beautiful in an eerie way, not awesome as the churches, but historically and architecturally significant. We also went to the Miag-ao Church, the one on the World Heritage Sites List, and instinctively, went atop the bell tower again in order to be terrorized by the height and the cavernous dungeon-like staircase up the façade and the tower itself. We also went to Ex-congressman Oscar Garin’s house, a friend of my dad’s and my ninang. And I can say only two words: MTV CRIBS.
So much of the good things must end, after touring the other churches and places, like UP VISAYAS, we went to the airport and returned back to Manila, after another delayed flight. Again. And guess what. It was Larai, an acquaintance from AB, who was one of the flight attendants on our Cebu Pacific flight. I had this feeling that I’ll see her (or probably Paolo Castro) in Cebu Pacific. Mall rats as we are, we immediately went to Harrison Plaza where we parted ways for the moment, I went to Rustan’s and got me David Beckham’s INSTINCT, while the others went to SM and everywhere. Now I’m sitting here, tired and blogging all the way. It was a great trip, though so short it may be. Loved it.
And of the things I’ve learned….
- ‘Bata’ is ‘Anak’ in Kiniray-A. So, in Tagalog if you say ‘bata siya ni rommel’, it means either ‘syota’ or ‘tauhan’ or ‘aliping sagigilid’, but in Kiniray-a, it means child.
- The theory of relativity is quite apparent over there. The whole municipality is related, either by consanguinity or affinity, up to the 100th civil degree.
- They live simple lives, but they are happy.
- Hiligaynon is the Language, while Ilonggo is the people.
- Kiniray-a and Hiligaynon are the two dialects of Iloilo.
- What to Manileños is superstitious, is a way of life for them, and is based on facts historically learned from experience. They know nature unlike we do.
- Ilonggos have such a rich culture.
- Food was good. Especially the Inasal.
- Andam sa Ido means BEWARE OF DOG.
- In between lines you can probable understand what they are saying.
- Don’t swim in the beach during storms or tempest.
- What casual wear to us, is foreign wear to them.
- They are such hospitable.
- The Tagalog ‘NG’ is ‘SG’ in Hiligaynon.
Pictures will follow soon after they’ve been downloaded.
Papanaw muna ako. Damo Salamat sa inyong tanan!
posted by ohme at 12:52 AM
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